Castro 'mansion' is coming down

The back of the old Castro mansion, which is being dismantled brick by brick, is shown on U.S. Highway 27 north of Ocala, Fla. on Friday, July 18, 2014. According to Eric Adams of Colbert Construction in Ocklawaha, as many bricks as possible are being saved for Bernadette Castro before the mansion is fully razed. The mansion was built by Bernard and Theresa Castro, who owned and operated Castro Convertibles. The mansion was their original Florida home.

Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Star-Banner

By Carlos E. MedinaCorrespondent

Published: Wednesday, July 23, 2014 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, July 22, 2014 at 5:52 p.m.

One thing Bernadette Castro remembers about her father, Bernard, the founder of Castro Convertibles, was his sensible approach to business and life.

Photo Galleries

After years of hesitation, Bernadette recently made the sensible choice concerning her parent's home, which has towered for years on a high hill very near U.S. Highway 27 in northwest Marion County. The two-story brick home with stately columns out front, and a specially built wing that served as a ballroom for her mother Theresa's varied charitable events, is coming down.

“It's a very bittersweet time. The homestead, as we call it, has so much sentimental value,” Castro said.

The home sat largely empty for more than 15 years, and time has not been kind to the venerable dwelling.

“With the humidity and leaks, damage creeps in. Plus, all the systems in the home would need replacing,” Castro said. “We looked at the cost associated in rehabilitating the home and, based on how close it is to the highway, we finally made the decision we would not move forward with a restoration.”

But first, the home's brick facade is being carefully removed and saved for a re-envisioned Castro “homestead” on the same property.

Bernard and Theresa Castro bought more than 3,000 acres along U.S. 27 some 50 years ago. Instead of building a new home on a portion of the property, Bernard made additions to an existing farmhouse that once was part of the Carl Rose thoroughbred farm. That evolved into the home where the couple eventually lived full-time until Bernard's death in 1991. In the late 1990s, Theresa moved to New York to live with Bernadette. Theresa died in 2002.

Bernard and Theresa, as well as their son Bernard Castro Jr., are interred in a mausoleum on the 180-acre tract where the home sits.

“I don't want anyone to think this is part of a development plan or that the family is going to separate itself from Ocala. We're getting ready to do something special,” Bernadette Castro said.

Her vision is to build a retreat for the family further back on the property. Originally, U.S. 27 was a narrow two-lane country road and the home was shielded by oak trees that lined the road.

“Now, it's a four-lane, major thoroughfare,” Castro said.

For years the home has sat as an unintended memorial looming over the road.

“We thought about turning it into office space or maybe a restaurant, but it didn't fit. Ocala has a very special meaning to the family. It's definitely our second home. All of us know that that 180 acres, God willing, will stay in the family,” Castro said.

Over the years, some of the family's thousands of acres, which served as a cattle operation, have been sold off, including a large portion where Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club now sits. The family still owns hundreds of acres along the U.S. 27 corridor.

Bernard Castro started Castro Convertibles in the 1930s and invented an easy opening and closing system for a foldout bed hidden inside a couch. The Castros originally moved to Fort Lauderdale in the 1950s in a short-lived bid at retirement. A few years later, Bernard started buying land in Marion County. Eventually, the Castros moved the company's headquarters to the county and built a manufacturing plant.

Theresa Castro focused on charitable and cultural events. She founded the Royal Dames for Cancer Research, started the Golden Hills Theater and the Golden Hills Academy. For years, she was the one who flipped the switch during the city's annual holiday event, “Light Up Ocala.”

Theresa also was known for her penchant to feed people.

The family allowed the Florida National Guard access to 100 acres of their property to use in training maneuvers, and would feed the soldiers at their homestead.

Many a charity dinner was held in the home's ballroom, and the hospitality extended to individuals as well.

“My dad was a veterinarian and whenever he did work for them, he'd come home with an industrial-sized pan of lasagna,” said Hugh Dailey, CEO and president of Community Bank and Trust of Florida.

Bernadette Castro said she is taken with the small things her mother and father did and enjoys hearing the previously unknown stories she still hears from time to time.

“For years my mother would buy all the chickens the children entered at the (poultry show). I just heard about that a few years ago. I hear those fun stories about my parents when I am down there visiting,” she said. 'I really get a kick out of it.”

It was Dailey who passed along the chicken story.

As part of the local 4-H, children were given fertilized chicken eggs, which they hatched, raised and then sold at auction during what was then known as the Sears Poultry Show every fall.

In the 1970s and '80s, Theresa Castro, who was driven by limousine everywhere she went, was a frequent buyer.

“There were years where she bought all the chickens the kids brought. They'd hope to get $5 apiece and she'd come in, pay $25 each and donate most of the chickens back to the kids,” Dailey said.

Bernadette Castro hopes the family will continue to add to the history of the county for years to come. Her youngest son, also named Bernard, is an architect and will work on the new home's design, which will not be built for at least a couple of years.

“Bernard was born in Ocala and he's excited about the new project,” Castro said.

While she knows her choice for the family home was the sensible one, she resisted using words to describe the demolition of the home and made sure the work was done in the summer, while she is in New York.

“It's very hard for me. I have a lot of great memories connected to the home,” she said.

<p>One thing Bernadette Castro remembers about her father, Bernard, the founder of Castro Convertibles, was his sensible approach to business and life.</p><p>After years of hesitation, Bernadette recently made the sensible choice concerning her parent's home, which has towered for years on a high hill very near U.S. Highway 27 in northwest Marion County. The two-story brick home with stately columns out front, and a specially built wing that served as a ballroom for her mother Theresa's varied charitable events, is coming down.</p><p>“It's a very bittersweet time. The homestead, as we call it, has so much sentimental value,” Castro said.</p><p>The home sat largely empty for more than 15 years, and time has not been kind to the venerable dwelling.</p><p>“With the humidity and leaks, damage creeps in. Plus, all the systems in the home would need replacing,” Castro said. “We looked at the cost associated in rehabilitating the home and, based on how close it is to the highway, we finally made the decision we would not move forward with a restoration.”</p><p>But first, the home's brick facade is being carefully removed and saved for a re-envisioned Castro “homestead” on the same property.</p><p>Bernard and Theresa Castro bought more than 3,000 acres along U.S. 27 some 50 years ago. Instead of building a new home on a portion of the property, Bernard made additions to an existing farmhouse that once was part of the Carl Rose thoroughbred farm. That evolved into the home where the couple eventually lived full-time until Bernard's death in 1991. In the late 1990s, Theresa moved to New York to live with Bernadette. Theresa died in 2002.</p><p>Bernard and Theresa, as well as their son Bernard Castro Jr., are interred in a mausoleum on the 180-acre tract where the home sits.</p><p>“I don't want anyone to think this is part of a development plan or that the family is going to separate itself from Ocala. We're getting ready to do something special,” Bernadette Castro said.</p><p>Her vision is to build a retreat for the family further back on the property. Originally, U.S. 27 was a narrow two-lane country road and the home was shielded by oak trees that lined the road.</p><p>“Now, it's a four-lane, major thoroughfare,” Castro said.</p><p>For years the home has sat as an unintended memorial looming over the road.</p><p>“We thought about turning it into office space or maybe a restaurant, but it didn't fit. Ocala has a very special meaning to the family. It's definitely our second home. All of us know that that 180 acres, God willing, will stay in the family,” Castro said.</p><p>Over the years, some of the family's thousands of acres, which served as a cattle operation, have been sold off, including a large portion where Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club now sits. The family still owns hundreds of acres along the U.S. 27 corridor.</p><p>Bernard Castro started Castro Convertibles in the 1930s and invented an easy opening and closing system for a foldout bed hidden inside a couch. The Castros originally moved to Fort Lauderdale in the 1950s in a short-lived bid at retirement. A few years later, Bernard started buying land in Marion County. Eventually, the Castros moved the company's headquarters to the county and built a manufacturing plant.</p><p>Theresa Castro focused on charitable and cultural events. She founded the Royal Dames for Cancer Research, started the Golden Hills Theater and the Golden Hills Academy. For years, she was the one who flipped the switch during the city's annual holiday event, “Light Up Ocala.”</p><p>Theresa also was known for her penchant to feed people.</p><p>The family allowed the Florida National Guard access to 100 acres of their property to use in training maneuvers, and would feed the soldiers at their homestead.</p><p>Many a charity dinner was held in the home's ballroom, and the hospitality extended to individuals as well.</p><p>“My dad was a veterinarian and whenever he did work for them, he'd come home with an industrial-sized pan of lasagna,” said Hugh Dailey, CEO and president of Community Bank and Trust of Florida.</p><p>Bernadette Castro said she is taken with the small things her mother and father did and enjoys hearing the previously unknown stories she still hears from time to time.</p><p>“For years my mother would buy all the chickens the children entered at the (poultry show). I just heard about that a few years ago. I hear those fun stories about my parents when I am down there visiting,” she said. 'I really get a kick out of it.”</p><p>It was Dailey who passed along the chicken story.</p><p>As part of the local 4-H, children were given fertilized chicken eggs, which they hatched, raised and then sold at auction during what was then known as the Sears Poultry Show every fall.</p><p>In the 1970s and '80s, Theresa Castro, who was driven by limousine everywhere she went, was a frequent buyer.</p><p>“There were years where she bought all the chickens the kids brought. They'd hope to get $5 apiece and she'd come in, pay $25 each and donate most of the chickens back to the kids,” Dailey said.</p><p>Bernadette Castro hopes the family will continue to add to the history of the county for years to come. Her youngest son, also named Bernard, is an architect and will work on the new home's design, which will not be built for at least a couple of years.</p><p>“Bernard was born in Ocala and he's excited about the new project,” Castro said.</p><p>While she knows her choice for the family home was the sensible one, she resisted using words to describe the demolition of the home and made sure the work was done in the summer, while she is in New York.</p><p>“It's very hard for me. I have a lot of great memories connected to the home,” she said.</p>